birdwatching blogs

The trip to Little Sorbulak with Andrey Kovalenko and Gennady Dyakin. The day was mostly sunny but windy. On the road in Ili region we saw the flock of Black Kites, the wedge of Demoiselle Cranes, and the Black-headed Gulls and pair of Shovelers on the little lake. We started the discovering of the lakes of Sorbulak system from the reeds and djida thickets, where we watched one Cetti's Warbler, Reed Buntings, Tree Sparrows, two Isabelline Shrikes, one hen of Pheasant, Chiffchaffs, regularly flocks of Black-throated Thrushes Chaffinches, Bramblings, Greenfinches flew by, once we saw the flock of Desert Finches and the mixed flock Yellowhammers and Pine Buntings. In the reeds and about them we saw Bluethroat, Black-throated Accentor, two male Stonechats. On the little lake there were a few Coots; also we heard but didn't saw the Water Rail. Regularly we watched the soared Sparrowhawk, sometimes the flying Ruddy Shelducks, Caspian Gulls and Black-headed Gulls. Also we found the killed Goshawk.In [...... read more ]

Overcast day. I hoped to make good quality photos of Eversmann's Redstarts but didn't find any of them. Most of birds stay on the far part of the park. The first bird I noticed was the Sparrowhawk, then group of Magpies, one Mistle Thrush and Carrion Crow. Then I entered to the uninhabited territory without people and roads. Here I watched flocks of Chaffinches, Bramblings and Rock Buntings feeding on ground. In addition to these numerous birds I also saw one Eastern Buzzard, one Masked Wagtail and pair of Greenfinches. [...... read more ]

Today I a short time stayed and listened the Grey-headed Goldfinches picking the pine seeds. Some birds were visible behind the branches but most of them were invisible; only cracking sounds and seeds flying down indicated the presence of birds. [...... read more ]

The trip with Gennady Dyakin to Ile river. In the steppe zone close to the river we noticed the perched on the little hill Goshawk. The second Goshawk in last two days, my guess is now is time of the migration of Goshawks. In the same steppe-semidesert zone there were many Calandra larks, once the Desert Wheatear was noticed. Then we descent to the trees at the river; several trees do not form even the grove but in absence of other trees here were quite a many little passerine birds; we noticed Reed Buntings, Tree Sparrows, singing Greenfinch, and Desert Finch.The road along the river. On the water regularly we watched little groups of Goldeneyes and rarer Mallards. On the single trees once we saw Kestrel and once Steppe Grey Shrike. Then we stayed at river close to rocks. Birds were a bit. Sometimes the Jackdaws flew by. The flock of Black-headed Gulls flew mostly over the coast than over the water. On the coast-line two Masked Wagtails fed, to the single tree several times Long-tailed [...... read more ]

Trip with Gennady Dyakin to the former fish ponds to watch the migrating shorebirds. On the road we noticed the first Black Kite in this year, and the flying Ruddy Shelducks when we closed to ponds. The first ponds were mostly under the ice but there were the patches of open water. Here on the open sandbank we watched 6-7 Common Redshanks, 2 Masked Wagtails, 15-20 Common Teals, 2 Mallards; on the ice 15-20 Cormorants, 2 Caspian Gulls and several Black-headed Gulls rested; one unidentified Harrier flew by.The fish ponds more likely didn't work last several years, some ponds are dry and grown by djida-trees (russian olives), other ones are full water and grown by reeds. In djida thickets and near them we watched Crested Larks (4-5 birds), Long-tailed Rosefinches, one Rock Bunting, and many Magpies, Carrion Crows, Greenfinches, Black-throated Thrushes. Raptors were one Long-legged Buzzard and one Rough-legged Buzzard only. On the open pond which is also mostly ice-covered we watched many water [...... read more ]

The ground were half-opened, on the wet ground the Rooks, Great Tits, several Hooded Crows and one Carrion Crows were feeding. I saw Blackbirds, Bramblings and Chaffinches. Some Brambling males have the black head. Blackbirds and Great Tits began to sing earlier but today I heard the singing Greenfinch too. Magpies bring the twigs to nest. I watched the Peregrine Falcon who slowly turned in the niche, then looked at me, ruffled the feathers and then flew off. [...... read more ]

There were many Magpies and Carrion Crows. Also I saw seome Great Tits, Blackbirds, two White-bellied Dippers, one Wren and one Solitary Snipe who whistling flew off from me. But in the inhabitant part of the gorge I watched Wallcreeper in the transition from winter to summer plumage. [...... read more ]

Hybrid Crow wintered in our area some recent years. This winter I watched it twice but could not shoot it. Today is very overcast day and I went to the next scrap-heaps hoping to find this unusual crow. Unfortunately I didn't find it, but I saw the flock (20 birds) of White-winged Grosbeaks, three Red-fronted Serins and the Magpie with the twig in its beak. [...... read more ]

Cloudy day. Only on the bottom part of the gorge I saw the birds: the singing in apple garden Great Tits and the moving on the rock Blackbirds. Then I a long time didn't hear any bird until the pine patches on the bushy slopes. In pines I saw male White-winged Grosbeak and then single Coal Tit. Then in spruce forest I heard the drumming of Three-toed Woodpecker; I was waiting to notice any movement but Woodpecker didn't shown though was drumming for a while. In the high spruce forest there were not any birds excepting the Magpies which I didn't see but heard only. Downing to the pines I noticed Nutcrackers but couldn't shoot it, but in the birch grove I watched mixed flock of 7-8 Coal Tits and one Treecreeper. That's all. [...... read more ]